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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. HOLMES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO JOHN R. PRATT.

SHIPS' CAPSTAN.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 13,262, dated July 17, 1855.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. HOLMES, of New York, in the county of NewYork, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements on Capstans; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description of the con-` struction andoperation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying model anddrawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Before entering into a detailed description of the various parts of mycapstan I will proceed to give a general view of the nature of myimprovement. A

The nature of my invention in capstans consists in the arrangement of astationary' drum head in combination with a stationary base and spindleand a revolving rope barrel or body, said barrel being moved by gearingand cranks, as hereinafter described.

Thus economy of space, increased facility of working, combined withfirmness and strength are jointly embraced in the construction of myimproved power capstan; further, by dispensing with cumbrous bars andwith the extensive and valuable area required for operation when theyare employed the whole apparatus may be made transportable, not only,but stored away, putup or used even in the most confined spaces andlocalities of the vessel. The greatest inconvenience and encumbrance,however, inherent in all capstans, even of the most recent construction,when worked by bars, consist4 in the indispensable necessity oftraveling or jumping over the hoisting rope, or interfering with the.person employed to work it over the barrel, at every turn, the operatorsperform, it crossing their annular path regularly at every revolution ofthe capstan; this obvious difiiculty, as will be perceived, is also doneaway with in my improved capstan.

1.With reference to the annexed drawings, making a partof thisspecification, and in order to explain the various details more fully,the capst-an in Figure l and Fig. 2 is represented in elevations; Fig. 3gives a longitudinal section of it and exhibits the interiorarrangement; Fig. il shows a ground plan and Figs. 5 and 6 give the moreprominent parts in detail.

A, A, in Figs. l, 2, 3, and 4 is the bottom part or bed plate of thecapstan, and of ordinary construction, secured to the flooring or deckof the vessel, the eye in its center receives the vertical spindle oraxis C, made of wrought iron, and keyed fast to the bottom plate A. B, Bis the cast iron and hollow barrel of the capstan, revolving freely uponthe center shaft C. D, D represents the hollow top or drum head; it isalso made firm and stationary with the spindle C and kept in the properproximity to B, by means of the top nut E, thereby allowing the barrelto move closely between the bed plate. A and the top D.

F F in Figs. 3 and 6 is a round plate, firmly secured. to the spindle Cand placed in a proper position to form the support and thexed centersfor the two spur wheels G, G; these wheels are alternatively in gearwith the toothed rim H, I-l', Fig. 5, of the barrel B, B, and in thesame time with a third wheel or pinion I, I, Fig. 6; the pinion I, I,also forms one piece with the large bevel wheel K, K, and both of themare made to revolve loosely upon the fixed spindle C, the plate F, assupport, maintaining their respective positions to G and G. The hollowtop or drum head D, D contains the bearings for the two shafts M, M',which carry in the interior of the head the two pinions L, L gearinglooth into the bevel wheel K, while the other extremities of the shaftsproject-.through the top of the capstan, for the purpose of receivingthe cranks N, N; thus, by turning the cranks, proper motions areimparted to the wheel K with its pinion I, and by means of theintermediate wheels G, G to the barrel B. The shafts M, M' are providedwith cast iron sockets O, O, arranged so, as to allow the cranks N, N,to slide through them, for the purpose of varying the throw of thelatter, as above set forth and specified; eye bolts P, P being providedin the sockets, to keep them in the proper position when once set andadjusted.

R, R and S, S in Fig. 2 and Fig. 4 finally represent brakes, and exhibitthe principle of bracing and supporting t-he spindle C with thestationary top or drinn head D, D, of the capstan, in various modes, andin such a way as to instantly admit of removal when required; bysuitable connections either with the flooring and the deck, or in anyhorizontal direction from the guards, rails, etc.

Having thus fully described and explained my improvements in capstans, Iwish it to be understood, that I make no claim to originaiity ofinvention, to employ compound head in relation to the stationary baseand 10 Spindle and movable body, the same being moved by gearing andcranks, as herein set forth and described.

JOHN B. HOLMES.

Witnesses:

CHARLES EHMAN, E. R. BoGARDUs.

